Catalyst for change to build inclusive communities
Springwood local Sara Shams is a woman with many titles – pharmacist, disability advocate, keynote speaker, model, and founder of her own successful business consultancy.
In 2024, she was honoured with the Minister’s Multicultural Award for her advocacy on behalf of culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability. Sara also sits on the board of Carers Queensland.
But beyond the accolades, the 36-year-old is a force of resilience and representation, using her lived experience to challenge perceptions and build inclusive communities around Australia.
Sara’s story is one of transformation, courage, and love for Logan, the city she calls home.
Born in Bangladesh with tibial hemimelia – a rare condition where the tibial bones are absent – Sara’s early life was shaped by both cultural and physical challenges.
Her parents moved to New Zealand in the mid-1990s seeking better opportunities and healthcare for their family.
As a result, Sara underwent a bilateral above-knee amputation at age 6. At primary school she used to walk around on her knees, not really seeing herself as hugely different from her peers.
Unfortunately, teenage Sara had a completely different experience.
‘High school was tough. I was bullied and unimaginatively called “No Legs Sara”. That’s why my Instagram handle is “No Legs, No Worries” – a nod to those bullies and a reclaiming of my identity,’ she says.
For years Sara hid her prosthetic legs, wearing long pants and feeling adrift in a world that didn’t seem to be made for her.
After finishing her high school studies, Sara’s curiosity about genetics and her desire to connect with people led her to study pharmacy at university.
While she thrived professionally, Sara grappled with embracing her disability.
She was holding herself back because she wasn’t seeing herself represented anywhere – not in the media, not in fashion, and not in leadership.
That realisation sparked a personal revolution, and Sara did something she’d never dared to before – she began sharing her story on social media and posting photos that revealed her prosthetic legs.
‘I wore skirts without stockings for the first time. I was terrified, but nothing bad happened. That post changed everything,’ she says.
From that moment Sara’s visibility grew.
ABOVE: Sara Shams is using her lived experience of disability to have a meaningful impact for the City of Logan. Photo: Azar Image. Photography/Silverfox Mgmt.
Brands approached her for modelling, she walked runways, and was one of 8 Australians chosen to be an ambassador for International Day of People with Disability in 2024.
Through her social media account, Sara continues to inspire other amputees and those who live with disability, all around the world.
‘One message from a mother in Florida said her daughter, who has a similar disability, sees my posts and believes she has no limitations. That’s why I do this,’ Sara says.
Sara says living in Logan has helped her deepen advocacy and her sense of belonging, particularly as ‘a proud disabled woman of colour’.
‘Being one of the most multicultural cities in Australia, Logan also allows me to elevate voices that are often unheard,’ Sara says.
‘Being in Logan means our values and heritage are celebrated. It gives us the chance to succeed in business, arts, and advocacy.
‘Logan’s strength is its diversity, and I’m proud to be part of that story.’
Sara also started noticing a gap in culturally safe disability awareness training, leading her to create Ethnobility – a consultancy business providing workshops, policy reviews, and keynote engagements to help organisations move beyond tokenistic inclusion.
Sara has a poignant message for her younger self, that also applies to others – with or without disability – who are hiding away from the world.
‘It’s okay to be different,’ Sara says.
‘You don’t know it yet, but you’ll be the catalyst for change. Hang in there, you’re going to be more than okay.’
PHOTO AT TOP: Sara Shams modelling at Cairns Fashion Week. Photo: Momento Road Photography.
